Friday Review (4/19/24)
Each week we compile a list of helpful articles from other sites, in a variety of categories, for youth workers to read, reflect on, and/or discuss with parents and volunteers. If you have any articles you’d like to suggest, we’d love for you to share those in the Youth Pastor Theologian Facebook group. That’s a great way to bring them to our attention and to discuss them with like-minded youth workers! (Inclusion in this list does not imply complete agreement with the publishing source, but we have found these articles to be beneficial.)
Youth Ministry
Gen Z and the Draw to Serious Faith, by Trevin Wax (The Gospel Coalition)
Young people are swimming in pools of superficiality, with torrents of information flooding through their magical devices. Adrift in a sea without navigation, in a world where moral strictures have been blown up in the name of freedom, many long for paths of formation, growth, and maturity.
7 Questions That Teens Need to Answer, by Paul David Tripp (Crossway)
You are a teenager: that means you are in one of the most exciting and most important times of your life! I want to alert you to seven questions you will face that will influence the shape and direction of the rest of your life.
What if I Had Understood the Grace of God as a Teenager?, by Chelsea Kingston Erickson (New Growth Press)
Don’t get me wrong—I loved Jesus as a teenager. In the midst of high school heartaches and often tumultuous relationships with my parents, he was my refuge. But somewhere, somehow, I believed the lie that I had to be good in order to stay close to him, that my relationship with him was based on how well I was performing in my faith.
Biblical & Theological Studies
Why I Went Cold Turkey on Political Theology, by Alastair Roberts (Plough)
Underlying my decision to make such a radical break was consideration of some of the biblical teaching I have discussed: the relationship between good seed and good fruit and the necessity of healthy soil for production of such good fruit. When, for all my study of scripture, the fruit produced in my life was of consistently poor quality, either there was something amiss with the manner of my hearing or certain of the teachings to which I was attending were not as scriptural as I had supposed.
The Church Should Mind Its Spiritual Business, by Alan D. Strange (Crossway)
The calling, or mission, of the church as the church is to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth, not to be another merely (or even chiefly) political, social, or economic institution. The church, in its full-orbed existence, may have political, economic, or social concerns that develop out of its mission, but those aspects are not what primarily mark and define it.
Cultural Reflection & Contextualization
How ‘Avatar’ Taps into Gen Z’s Core Longings, by Genevie Roby (The Gospel Coalition)
With sequels planned into the 2030s, Avatar will be a significant cinematic brand for Gen Z from our childhood into our adulthood. Here are three longings that make the franchise so resonant with my generation.
Pastoral Ministry
Your Elders Will Fail You, by Bryan Schneider (Gentle Reformation)
My hope from this article is that we, as a Christian community, may give and grow in grace. I'm not giving a pass to sloppy, neglectful, or even sinful shepherding. But, I am advocating that we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep. Why? Because your elders will fail you.
When Healing Resembles the Slow Unfolding of a Rose, by Allana Walker (Gospel-Centered Discipleship)
So it is with us. Receiving salvation is only the first step in our journey toward wholeness. From that day forward, the rest of our lives will be spent undergoing the day-by-day work of maturation.
When Elders Disagree, by Steven Lee (Desiring God)
When instincts differ among elders on the same team, what can we do? How can we preserve plurality, honor divergent views, and shepherd in harmony with fellow elders?
Family & Parents
How a Heavenward Perspective Transforms Our Teens, by Anna Meade Harris (Rooted)
But there is a greater truth we can offer our young people: because Jesus Christ has risen triumphantly from the grave, we never need confront the pain of living in a fallen world without hope. While our kids are young, we can teach them an eschatology that imbues this present life with rich meaning and the life to come with eager anticipation.
From YPT this week
YPT Podcast ep.67: Post-Confirmation Discipleship in Norway with Bård Norheim
Ministry to students after confirmation (or baptism, depending on tradition) can pose some unique challenges. Hear about what the church in Norway is doing to establish youth in faith that lasts.
How to Prepare Seniors For College and the Workforce, by Andrew Slay
How can youth leaders prepare students for life after high school? It’s about so much more than a “Grad Night” or senior banquet.